Tag: piyo

I’ve received a lot of emails over the last few weeks with requests to review a proven low impact workout. One that all ages can perform and see great results. Here is my Piyo workout review.

The simplest way to describe the PiYo workout program by Beachbody, is to call it a combination of Pilates and yoga.

But unlike Pilates and yoga, PiYo doesn’t force you to perform several small core movements or ask you to hold long poses. Instead, it incorporates what is called “dynamic, flowing sequences” that are meant to shorten the workouts and significantly increase the results.

There are a lot of yoga and Pilates programs out there, but none of them are like PiYo. Chalene (creator of PiYo) takes a new approach to at-home body sculpting and fat loss. We hope this helps you determine whether this particular program is the right fit for you and your fitness goals.

Who Was PiYo Created For?

Of all the home-based fitness products we’ve reviewed, PiYo appears to

have the broadest appeal across all fitness levels and ages.

If you’re a beginner just starting on your journey to getting in better shape, PiYo can play the role of a solid starting point.

Or if you’re a seasoned fitness veteran, you can still put PiYo to good use in conjunction with your standard weightlifting regimen or combine it with programs like Insanity.

The PiYo workout is recommended for the following groups:

Those who are brand new to fitness and looking for an entry-level program.

People who are semi-new to fitness and want to pursue Pilates or yoga.

Individuals who want to focus on accelerating their fat loss without going to extremes.

People who want to avoid high-impact workouts.

Fitness veterans looking to supplement other workout programs.

What’s Included in the PiYo Workout?

The PiYo Base Kit at Beachbody comes with the following:

10 Workouts on 3 DVDs

Quick Start Guide

PiYo 60-Day Workout Calendar

Get Lean Eating Plan

Tape Measure 6. Buns Workout

10 Workouts on 3 DVDs

PiYo is a 60-day fitness program led by celebrity fitness trainer, Chalene Johnson. The workout schedule is 6 days a week, and each workout targets different areas of fitness: cardio, body sculpting, abs, and strength training.

If you’re new to Pilates or yoga, you’ll find that some of the movements will be difficult to perfect at first. And the fact that she occasionally fails to alert you of the next exercise means that you will have to keep an eye on the screen the first few times through the workouts. But as time progresses you’ll learn the movements and won’t have to look at the screen as much.

There is a cast member designated as a modifier for each workout, and they do a good job of demonstrating easier alternative movements for each exercise. But even with the modified exercises, make sure take your time to focus on your form. You can pause the workout at any time if you need it.

Chalene is a great motivator in the videos, which is always a good thing. And she motivates without being overly obnoxious (something that Shaun T can occasionally do on his Insanity)

Quick Start Guide

The Quick Start Guide is exactly what the title says, a crash course on what you need to know to get started with the PiYo program. It’s great for beginners and will help you overcome the dependency to look at the screen much quicker.

For that reason, we definitely recommend you read it before starting your first workout.

PiYo 60-Day Workout Calendar

The PiYo 60-Day Workout Calendar is a wall calendar that lists out each of the workouts for the full 60 days of the PiYo program.

We always recommend that you mark off each day on the calendar as you complete it. This is always a great motivator, especially on those tough days

Get Lean Eating Plan

The Get Lean Eating Plan is PiYo’s version of a nutrition guide. As they say, 80% of weight loss and fitness is your diet. Using this guide and sticking with it will help you reach your goals quicker

It’s a great asset for beginners, but can be repeat information if you’ve completed several workout programs.

Tape Measure

The PiYo package comes with its own tape measure for keeping track of your body measurements throughout the course of the program.

This is an underestimated part of the program. It’s very important to take measurement throughout the program, more than just weight. Often you may not see any changes in your weight, but these measurements will help you see that you are improving!

Buns Workout

The Buns workout video is an optional workout that targets (you guessed it) your booty, along with your quads and hamstrings. Like the rest of the PiYo workouts, Buns uses your bodyweight to increase resistance and tighten and tone your lower body. Modifiers are also included in this workout.

Convenience and Usability

Convenience

Like Insanity, PiYo requires no equipment. All workouts are done using only your bodyweight, making this program extremely convenient for anyone in any location. Many people we have talked to use this workout plan as their go to work out when traveling.

The workout durations range from 25 minutes to 45 minutes and are performed 6 days a week.

Consumers commonly mentioned how fast the workouts seemed to pass, giving them the illusion that the workouts were even faster than their actual duration.

Usability

PiYo is great for people of all fitness levels, body types, and age groups. Its low-impact exercises and lack of jump movements make it one of the easier programs offered by Beachbody.

Financial Investment

The only additional item you need to purchase with PiYo is a yoga mat (and possibly a pair of athletic shoes, if you don’t already own a pair). You can pick up a decent yoga mat for around $15 from your local sporting goods store or order it from Amazon.

PiYo Workout Reviews

PiYo’s strength lies in its effective use of blending Pilates and yoga, which we feel gives it the upper hand over both in terms of its ability to burn fat.

Make no mistake about it, PiYo is a fat-burning workout. If building strength is your focus, you may want to consider another program like Body Beast or P90X.

You can tell that they are targeting women, but I know a few men that have needed a low impact workout and saw great PiYo results.

PiYo Results

We admit we were a little surprised by some of the results we read by other consumers. One in particular involved a person who lost over 30 lbs. and dropped 3” from their waist by the end of 90 days (without combining PiYo with another program).

Other consumers reported losses of 10 lbs. in the first three weeks, 8 lbs. in the last week, and upwards of 20 lbs. after 60 days.

That’s not to say that all the results have been positive. We did come across a couple of reviews in which the consumers admitted to not being able to finish the program due to a lack of motivation.

But overall, the reviews we read and researched were positive.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Great for beginners. This program can easily be picked up and used by anyone, regardless of your body type, fitness level, and/or age.

Very low impact workouts. There is no jumping or joint slaming moves in the PiYo workout program.

Quick workouts. The maximum amount of time you’ll spend on one workout is 45 minutes and seem faster than that

Increased flexibility. Thanks to the yoga elements in the program, many consumers have experienced increased flexibility by the end of the 60 days.

Cons

Fast transitions. Chalene transitions fairly quickly from exercise to exercise (and sometimes doesn’t give cues), so keeping up with the changes can be difficult in certain workouts.